As the schedule turns

We interrupt this discussion of the next contract to turn to an increasingly important provision of the current contract: turnaround pay.

When the local news desk recently posted the weekend schedule for the first quarter of next year, many reporters found themselves assigned at least once to the 4:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. night police shift. As an earlier newsletter noted, this was an expected consequence of management's push to eliminate the jobs of part-time night police reporters Adam Bergstrom and Linda Hanig. We'll have an update in the near future on the Guild's grievance against the downsizing, but for now, neither is on the first-quarter schedule.

Meanwhile, reporters are asking whether our contract allows management to schedule them to work until 1:30 a.m. Monday and then expect them to come back at 9 a.m. Monday. The answer is yes -- but only if the company pays them extra money for their inconvenience. And in a practical sense, many reporters may be able to work out deals with their editors for more flexible start times in such cases.

First, the contractual angle. You get extra money if you have to work the late police shift *either* Sunday or Saturday and are expected to show up any earlier than 11:30 a.m. Monday. That's because the contract sets a minimum turnaround time of 10 hours between consecutive shifts, or 34 hours if a day off intervenes. (This language would remain in the proposed new contract.)

If you have a turnaround shorter than that, the difference is paid at the overtime rate of time-and-a-half. For example, if you are required to come in at 9 a.m. Monday, that would be 2.5 hours short of the minimum turnaround, so you would fill out an OT card to be paid time-and-a-half between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., and mark it "turnaround."

But here's where common sense comes in. The company doesn't really want to pay all that overtime (which, incidentally, could eat up most of the money saved by what management claims is an economic downsizing of Bergstrom and Hanig). And reasonable editors don't want groggy reporters nodding off at their keyboards. So if you're in this position, you may be able to work out an arrangement with your editors to come in late that Monday.

However, if you do have to come in before 11:30 a.m., don't hesitate to reach for an overtime card. And don't lose a minute's sleep over doing so.